1
as in to ridicule
to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter
nowadays the aging activist is routinely shot down in most quarters of the media and dismissed as an irrelevant crank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dismiss
to reject by or as if by a vote
every one of my fund-raising ideas was shot down by the other club members
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to refute
to prove to be false
the results of several studies shoot down the hypothesis that coffee causes heart attacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shoot down
Independence voters passed one of three general obligation bonds Tuesday night, shooting down funding intended to rebuild public safety buildings and refurbish historic and athletic sites but approving funds to reconstruct streets and sidewalks.
—
Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
Mark and Moira fill him in on Mayday's next move – the rebel group is working to identify and execute the most extreme Gilead commanders, including those that ordered the planes sent to rescue Hannah, shot down.
—EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Ukraine's air force reported 23 missiles and 109 strike drones launched into the country overnight, of which 13 missiles and 40 drones were shot down, with another 53 drones lost in flight without causing damage.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2025
Such weapons take just minutes to reach their targets and are difficult to shoot down for all but high-end air defences.
—Yuliia Dysa and Tom Balmforth, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
Mark and Moira fill him in on Mayday's next move – the rebel group is working to identify and execute the most extreme Gilead commanders, including those that ordered the planes sent to rescue Hannah, shot down.
—EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Ukraine's air force reported 23 missiles and 109 strike drones launched into the country overnight, of which 13 missiles and 40 drones were shot down, with another 53 drones lost in flight without causing damage.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2025
Such weapons take just minutes to reach their targets and are difficult to shoot down for all but high-end air defences.
—Yuliia Dysa and Tom Balmforth, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoot down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot down
Verb
-
Presumably, Justine is not thrilled by Elon’s treatment of Vivian Jenna Wilson, one of the twins, who is now a transgender woman, and whom Elon has publicly ridiculed along with the trans community as a whole.—
Kerry A. Dolan,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
-
The president has ridiculed each of the major broadcast networks, which are regulated by Carr’s FCC, and suggested CBS, ABC and NBC could see their broadcast licenses pulled or at least face more scrutiny from the federal government over coverage of him.—
Dominick Mastrangelo,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
On March 4, the day the order to show cause was to be heard, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Heyman dismissed fans on social media who have failed to give Rollins his flowers, saying he’s seen pro wrestlers fail in the ring and seen praise on social media for them while others spout nonsense while ignoring historical facts.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
However reps of his team refuted the statement to Us Weekly.—
Jenzia Burgos,
StyleCaster,
17 Apr. 2025
-
But two witnesses refuted his story, alleging Stribling tried to hide evidence.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The show and its participants were even parodied on Saturday Night Live in January, with comedian Ego Nwodim playing Amuli, and other cast members mocking people’s poor conversation skills and unintelligent dating decisions.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Altman mocked Musk by making a counter-offer to buy X for $9.7 billion.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Renee Moore worked near the building and relied on its daycare for her 6-month-old son Antonio Cooper Jr., who was among those killed.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
One month later, their father, who was working as a captain for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was killed.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Kansas lawmakers passed this income tax cut at the end of March and Governor Laura Kelly (D) vetoed it on April 10.—
Patrick Gleason,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says that a bipartisan bill to curb President Trump’s tariff power backed by seven Republican senators doesn’t have a future in Congress because Trump has already threatened to veto it.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Instead, block unwanted calls and messages and refuse to provide financial information in response to an unexpected request.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Noboa refused to recognize Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela after his staged 2024 election and is also committed to fighting criminal gangs with all available resources to restore peace and security in Ecuador.—
Chris Massaro,
FOXNews.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Confusion reigned, and so on Friday, the stock went from positive to negative to deeply negative in a matter of hours.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
2 Feb. 2025
-
Travelers also need to negative COVID-19 test within one day of flying to return to the United States.—
Dallas News,
Dallas News,
7 Feb. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Shoot down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoot%20down. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share